Ricky’s Darlington win in 2003 “Race of the Decade”

As the 2000 Decade came to a close, Ricky’s 2003 win at Darlington was voted as the “Race of the Decade”.  Several times.

It was your basic David versus Goliath story, and one for the record book.  Cal Wells and his underfunded single-car team, piloted by our own Ricky Craven, beating and banging with Kurt Busch and the juggernaut of Jack Roush, during the last few laps of the rain-delayed Dodge Dealers 400.  For NASCAR fans, it was worth the wait until Monday, March 16, 2003.

As the laps were winding down, Kurt was having problems.  His power steering had failed, so he had to man-handle his car around “The Lady in Black.“  And Ricky was coming.  Fast.

Ricky caught Kurt with Three Laps to go, and then dove for the bottom to try and pass Kurt heading out of Turn Four.  They bump going into Turn One, and Kurt scrapes the wall while Ricky recovers.  That recovery lets Kurt come right back and get into Ricky’s rear bumper.  The number 32 Tide Pontiac gets squirrelly, and Kurt jumps back out into the lead, heading down the backstretch.

Now, lets remember for a moment that this is Darlington, “The Track Too Tough To Tame”.  You race the track, not each other, if you expect to have a chance to finish the race, never mind be in contention to win.  Those who disrespect the track, tend to end up with a wrecked race car.

For whatever reason, Darlington Raceway gave them both a pass.  Perhaps she knew what was about to unfold.

Now, with only a lap and a half to go, and Ricky has a choice: Try that same move again, and risk not finishing the race…  or learn from what didn’t work and try to make a pass again.  Just a different pass.

Ricky has been best in Turns Three and Four, and once again uses that advantage to catch back up to Kurt.  But this time, it’s the final lap, and Ricky just sits back and follows Kurt through Turns One and Two.  Follows Kurt down the backstretch.  Follows Kurt into Turn Three.  Waiting to try his move to pass coming out of Turn Four…

Then the number 97 gets a little loose in Turn Four, and that throws the door wide open.  It’s go time, and Ricky pulls a hard left and gets on the inside of Kurt coming out of Turn Four…

Those watching the broadcast on Fox on this Monday afternoon in March get to see history in the making, as Kurt and Ricky beat and bang down the front stretch, heading for the Finish Line, while Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip make the call…

“It’s gonna be a drag race!”

“They Touch! They Touch!”

“CRAVEN! Craven got him!”

“Oh my! What a finish!”

“Have you ever?”  “No, I’ve never!”

The winning margin of victory?  Just two-one thousandths of a second.  The closest finish in NASCAR history.  Watch it again:

Note: This video looks better played back at 480p.

If you would like to see the entire race, we have the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 over in our Race Archive.

So there you have it.  The Race of the Decade, a place in the history books, and the closest margin of victory, ever.  Won by our own Ricky Craven.

UPDATES -

May 7, 2010 – NASCAR put together this interview with both Kurt and Ricky:

October 30, 2010 – Kyle Busch, Kurt’s younger brother, ties the record at Talladega Superspeedway with a controversial win in the Camping World Truck Series race.

April 17, 2011 – The record is tied again, and again it’s at Talladega Superspeedway (which, of course, is where Ricky had that horrific accident in 1996 when his number 41 Kodiak ride went airborne in an attempt to leave the race track) in the Sprint Cup race, although .002 seconds at race speed at Talladega is about one inch in distance longer than at Darlington!

But the Darlington race is STILL number one, according to Speed TV and their program, “The 10:”.  Just three days later, on April 20, 2011, was the first airing of “The 10: Greatest NASCAR Finishes of All Time”: